Turning Leaves
by QuiesScriba
Summary: Follows the many lives and loves of small town residents as they attempt to move on from their pasts. [Modern AU, many pairings will be included]
1. Chapter One

**CHAPTER ONE**

The gentle breeze ruffled through the trees, causing leaves of all colours to wave about lazily, a rustling sound that was soft and comforting. Clutching a single cardboard box, the blond took one glance back at the departing taxi cab, watching as it slowly disappeared down the driveway. Standing alone, Armin began to wonder if this bold move from the city was the best idea, far from the life he had become accustomed to. No busy freeways, or bustling traffic, just the peaceful small town life. And, what was more, he was now closer to his only family, two friends who had stayed so close after the death of his family. They continued to remain close, even after Armin had moved away to study at one of the major universities.

Now he was back, holding a single box of possessions, the most important of things for the first night in his new flat, the rest of his belongings to arrive the following day. Some of the larger furniture, including a comfortable bed, had been set up by Mikasa and Eren. Lifting the box more comfortably into his arms, Armin made his first steps toward the front door. It was the first time he had been there since the flat had become his. The second floor.

The front porch was elegantly decorated with potted plants, the flowers beginning to fade after the summer. With some difficulty, he balanced the box and opened the first door. Yet as he turned the handle, the door was swung open by someone on the other side. Being a solid door, there was no way that either could have seen the other, and it was purely coincidence that they both reached for the handle at the same time, but Armin cursed mentally as he was sent forward, the door moving away from him. With a startled yelp, the box acted as a barrier as he toppled straight into the other person.

Armin's gaze remained on the open box as he took a step back, murmuring apologies. After a moment of awkward silence, blue eyes slowly rose, meeting another set of blue. He was not going to lie, the man was attractive, clearly quite a bit older than himself yet he wore his age exceedingly well. Distinguished, handsome. Those were two words that instantly came to mind, except there were those eyebrows. They were a bit heavy, yet they suited the face just fine. The way the hair was combed to the side said businessman, confirmed by the neat suit he wore. Armin found his mind wondering exactly was underneath those clothes. Going by what he could see, he was very fit, and he could imagine running his hands over that chest… Nope. Not going there again.

Then he realised exactly how underdressed he was by comparison. Loose clothing, comfortable for long drives. A pair of jeans, with a t-shirt emblazoned with one of his many favourite games, this time Assassin's Creed. A grey jacket that seemed far too large for him, at least by two sizes if not more, kept out the cool wind. And then there was the matter of his hair, well beyond needing a haircut, loosely tied back with a rubber band. Next to the neatly styled and dressed man, well… he was a complete mess.

Mind a million miles away, he jumped slightly as the man spoke, in a voice that was surprisingly deep. A soft pink spread across his cheeks in embarrassment, thanking every deity that the thoughts in his mind had not reached him. "You're the new tenant?" he asked, yet Armin found it difficult to respond.

Talk you damn idiot.

"I… ah, yes".

Smooth, real damn smooth. He had never really had the skills for flirting, which was what Eren used to joke was the awkward mating ritual of the nerd. Yet, the man did not seem in the least bit phased by his awkwardness at all, or he pretended not to notice it. A hand was offered, with a name. Erwin?

With some difficulty, he shifted the box so he could shake his hand. "Armin. Arlert". It seemed like their meeting would go a little more smoothly now, or that was until the box began to tilt precariously. Both knew what was happening, and Armin began to desperately grab for the falling box. Thankfully, Erwin came to his rescue, catching it before too many of his trinkets could fall out. Don't look in the box, please don't look in the box, he mentally chanted, yet it seemed the mantra was fruitless.

"A reader?" Erwin asked, curiously looking at the books on top.

"A writer actually". Well, nothing exceptional he had to admit. It was his hope that in moving to the town, he would be able to come up with some novel to be sent to the publisher. But until then, he would content himself with a job at the local coffeeshop. Nothing exceptional, but it was something to pay the rent until another job came along.

"A writer? Do you have any published books?" He seemed so curious, still keeping a hold on the box.

"No, not at the moment. But I'm hoping moving here, I'll get the inspiration to write something".

"Well, I'm sure there will be plenty of inspiration for you here".

The conversation seemed to quieten away to a surprisingly comfortable silence, both still holding the box steady. As much as Armin wished that he could continue talking with him, he knew that Erwin no doubt had work to go to, and he had a flat to prepare for furniture.

"Ah, you should probably get to work?" he said, giving a small smile.

"Yes, yes of course. Do you need some help with that box?" Erwin asked, seemingly equally reluctant to let the conversation die.

"No, thank you. But I appreciate the offer".

Erwin released the box, leaving Armin gripping it tightly. Stepping out of the doorway, he gave a soft smile as Erwin stepped out the door. Yet, rather than continuing down the steps, he continued to stand with the door wide open. For some reason he was hesitating, thinking for a brief moment, before turning back toward Armin.

"If you ever need anything, don't be afraid to ask".

"I wouldn't offer that if I were you, I might be inclined to take you up on that offer", Armin returned, giving a small smile. What the hell did I just say?

Yet Erwin seemed amused, giving a polite wave before continuing down the steps and toward his waiting car, leaving Armin alone in the hallway. With his arms full, Armin was unable to return the farewell, but he supposed he would meet Erwin again soon anyway.

Shaking his head, Armin gave a sigh before making his way to the staircase, continuing up to the second floor. Generally, first meetings had an awkward effect of awkwardness, yet for some reason meeting Erwin had been… strangely comfortable. He seemed like the sort of person he could actually see himself having a long and lasting conversation with, and given they lived in the same flat building that might happen.

As he unlocked the front door to his new place, Armin took a moment to stand in the open door, admiring what was now his home. He had homes before, with Mikasa and Eren, and bunked with other students in the city, but never somewhere that was so completely his. Stepping inside, he enjoyed the silence, setting his box on the empty coffee table. Putting his hands on his waist, Armin had to admit letting Eren and Mikasa pick out the larger, more important, furniture was one of his best decisions. A bed, coffee table, couch. Basics that he needed, the rest he could buy later when he had the money. Both had insisted that they buy everything he needed, yet he had refused. Armin, over the time in the city, had learnt he wanted to be more independent. But, if he needed them, both Mikasa and Eren would always be there.

Removing various things from the box, he began finding them all homes where he could. A neat stack of books on the coffeetable, his laptop set up on the kitchen counter. With all the weight on top of it, Armin could only hope the damn thing still worked. But as the screen came to life, he gave a relieved sigh. Fingers moved quickly on the keyboard, typing password after password. E-mails was always the first go-to place. Crossing his fingers, he could only hope that among them would be one acceptance, one e-mail from a publisher that his work was to be printed. Scrolling down slowly, Armin's heart began to sink. None. Again. A good majority were from friends at the university he had attended, wishing him luck and hoping they could stay in touch via Facebook, or some other electronic means. And there were at least eight from Mikasa and Eren, from their personal e-mails, asking that if he needed any help, no matter what the hour, he could call them.

With a heavy sigh, he began to respond, although a little disheartened not to hear from one of the many publishers he had sent his novel to. He had been quite proud of his work, but apparently it had not caught the eye of anyone else yet. Perhaps, however, he would find some inspiration in moving from the city for a novel that would eventually be printed.

As he responded to an e-mail from Mikasa, he found his mind wondering back to Erwin, and almost without realising he was doing it, he added two questions to the bottom of the e-mail.

"Who is Erwin Smith? Is he single?" he read aloud, once the e-mail was gone. Shit. He had not intended to send that at all.

But it was too late now.


	2. Chapter Two

**CHAPTER TWO**

Fingers tapped against the paper cup, the silence of the break room becoming too much to bear. Outside the door, there was the usual hustle and bustle of the busy country hospital, with voices ranging from friendly chatter to panicked calls. With a heavy sigh, the lone occupant of the room, a trainee nurse, raised her coffee to her lips, giving a content sigh as the steaming liquid reached her lips. It was the burst of energy that came from regular coffees that helped get her through the day. It also gave her a moment of quiet reflection, which sometimes was not the best thing. There were days when Annie could imagine her usual break partner sitting across on the other side of the table. Mina was exceptionally sweet and warm, contrasting to her own more serious and introverted nature. Yet, despite her many attempts to keep others out, the neonatal nurse had managed to break through her defences.

Setting the paper cup down on the table, Annie covered her eyes with the palm of her hand, feeling the all too familiar tightening of the chest, and tears beginning to build. It had been two years since Mina's car accident, one that had sent her car spiralling out of control and into the path of a travelling truck on the highway. Two years, and still it was raw, especially since Annie had refused to seek solace, to speak her grief out. No, she carried it around, along with the silver necklace of Mina's. It was a dainty little thing, far too feminine for herself, but it was one of the only pieces she had of her love. It was sad that it was only after Mina's death that she realised just how deep her love for her was. They had confessed it, yes. Given each other sweet kisses, and even woke up with limbs tangled beneath the sheets. But, it was in the days leading up to that unfortunate incident that Annie realised… she wanted to spend the rest of her life with her.

She wanted to wake up every morning, with Mina blushing and hiding her face, groaning that she looked horrible so early, hair still a mess from the previous night's activities. Annie loved that bed hair, especially knowing that it was her fingers that had played a part in messing it so completely. Morning kisses were also endlessly wonderful, despite the morning breath, which left Mina squirming beneath her, nose crinkling in disgust. Then there were those cute little pigtails that she loved to tie her hair into. At first, Annie had pointed out how school girl-ish they were, yet after a while, she began to see them as something completely adorable and so very Mina.

Finger lightly tapped against the table top, a small smile gracing her features. It was nicer; she realised, to remember the happier moments of their relationship than focus on the end. That was how Mina would have wanted to be remembered anyway, Annie was certain. Reaching into the pocket of her shirt, she pulled out her phone. There were no messages, to not surprise at all. Yet, she sat silently tapping at icons on the small touch screen, finding herself in the photographs. Nearly all were of Mina, or at least contained Mina in some way. Annie had never been particularly fond of having photographs taken of herself, especially given her larger sized nose. Yet, almost from the beginning, Mina had made her feel good about herself. She could still remember the shock as Mina snatched the phone from her hands, pulling her close for a photograph. And, it seemed that this would be how they recorded their relationship. Beginning with cute, friendly self-photographs, moving on to pictures of sweet kisses in various locations, including the elevator at the hospital. It was clear in the first few that Annie was not happy or comfortable at all, yet over time that expression changed to a smile, somewhat awkward compared to Mina's beautiful one.

The last few were a little more personal, with Annie and Mina in bed, likely first thing in the morning. Mina was clearly trying to hide her face from the camera, no doubt making protest at the whole thing. You are beautiful, just smile. And the last photograph was of them snuggled up close together, Mina pressing a surprise kiss to Annie's cheek. That would be the last of the photographs they would take together, which was even now a bitter pill to swallow. No more early morning kisses, no more cute photographs. And most importantly, no more Mina. With a heavy sigh, she returned the phone to her pocket, slowly finishing her coffee. Time was running short for her break, soon it was back to work.

Coffee cup discarded in the trash can, Annie stepped out of the break room and was quickly dragged away to work. Due to the shortage of nurses, it was hands on work in the hospital, and she was soon on her way down to the emergency ward. Handed a clipboard, Annie was directed to one of the curtained off beds. Before entering, she made sure to know what was wrong, so there was little chance of a shock. To absolutely no surprise, the names were Petra Ral and Auruo Bossard. The pair were expecting their first child together, and being first time parents they often had a tendency to think the smallest thing could be something dangerous. Last time, the soft first kicks had sent them into a flurry of panic, or at least Auruo was. Petra was generally quite calm about the whole thing, arriving at the hospital to ease her partner's panic more than anything. Sighing, Annie shook her head in disbelief. Again? The woman was only months, two at most, from giving birth. So she could only wonder how they would manage after the child was born.

Before she could enter the curtained off area, she was joined by a second nurse, one that was clearly new to the staff of the hospital. Blonde hair was cropped short, with the slightest of waves. The way she carried herself clearly indicated that she was quite self-assured, standing with a hand on her hip as if expecting something. Annie sighed, tucking the clipboard under her arm.

"I was told I was to shadow you today, so I could see how you country nurses do things", the blonde began, voice with a slight cockiness that just made Annie want to cringe.

"Well, I suppose if you were told to follow me, you have to follow me".

"I'm Hitch, by the way".

"That's nice".

"You really aren't the most social, are you, nurse?"

"Nope".

"So what's our first case?"

Clearly, Hitch was determined to have some sort of conversation, but even though she had done nothing yet, there was something about her that just got on Annie's nerves. Perhaps it was that overflowing self-confidence. But rather than telling her about the waiting parents, she handed the folder over to her, before stepping through the curtains.

As expected, Auruo was anxiously clutching Petra's hand, the ginger haired woman sighing and looking around the room. Sometimes, she wondered how Petra put up with the man, often insufferable and irritating, but occasionally she saw the looks that he gave his fiancée, and realised that he was so completely and utterly smitten. It was quite sweet, seeing a man so in love. Yet, at the same time Annie wished he would stop coming into the emergency room every time something went the slightest bit awry.

"What seems to be the problem?" she asked calmly, washing her hands with some sanitizer, settling down on a stool near the bed.

"I… I think I broke my ankle", Petra whimpered, indicating to the highly swollen and clearly bruising ankle in question. Clearly, she had done some serious damage in the fall. Moving to the end of the bed, Annie's fingers began to gently touch, prod and move the foot, checking the level of damage, causing small whimpers from the woman.

"Alright, I need you to move your toes". The look on Petra's face showed she was determined and trying, but to no avail. In that time, it seemed that Hitch had joined the three of them in the room, quietly observing what was going on. "Alright, it might be broken. But we need to get an x-ray to see what the damage is. A doctor should be in to see you shortly". The calm, professional tone kept Auruo in particular from panicking too much, which had happened previously. With a gentle smile, Annie left the room, closing the curtain behind Hitch.

"You were pretty good in there. I thought that guy was going to freak out".

Unaccustomed to compliments, Annie blinked a few times, unsure at first how to respond. "I… ah. Thank you?"

Surprisingly, the rest of the shift was a lot more pleasant with Hitch. Despite her first impression, Annie found her to be a well and truly capable member of the nursing staff, easily handling patients and stressful situations. In the quiet times, Hitch became slightly impatient, giving the strong impression she may have previously worked in a more bustling city hospital. But what exactly had brought this talented nurse to the small country town hospital? Despite asking during a second break in their shift, Annie received no answers, Hitch simply shaking her head and replying with the avoiding statement, "It's a long story". For someone so sociable, she was certainly keeping oddly quietly on the topic of her move into town, meaning Annie left for the night, her thirst for answers left unquenched.


End file.
